Apparatus and method for future transmission of device-independent messages

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for entering and transmitting a message at a future delivery time to a receiving device that is coupled either to a telephony-centric network or to a data-centric network. The apparatus includes a message server, a data-centric network server, and a telephony-centric network server. The message server translates the message into a format compatible with the receiving device and initiates delivery of the message at the future delivery time. The data-centric network server transmits the message over the data-centric network and, if the receiving device is addressable over the data-centric network, then said data-centric network server delivers the message directly to the receiving device. The telephony-centric network server provides an interface between the data-centric network server and the telephony-centric network. If the receiving device is addressable by the telephony-centric network, then the telephony-centric network server receives the message from said data-centric network server and delivers the message to the receiving device over the telephony-centric network.

1. An apparatus for sending a message having a recipient field identifying one of a plurality of receiving devices, wherein each receiving device has a different format than the other receiving devices, each said receiving device coupled to at least one of a data-centric network and a telephony-centric network, the apparatus comprising:
 a message server configured to translate the message into a plurality of formats, each format compatible with one of the receiving devices specified in the recipient field;  
 a data-centric network link, coupled to said message server, configured to transmit the message over the data-centric network;  
 a telephony-centric network link, coupled to said message server, configured to transmit the message over the telephony-centric network;  
 wherein, if the receiving device is addressed by accessing an internet protocol address over the data-centric network, then said message server delivers the translated message to the receiving device over the data-centric network via the data-centric network link; and  
 wherein, if the receiving device is addressed by a telephone number via the telephony-centric network, then said message server delivers the translated message to the receiving device over the telephony-centric network via the telephony-centric network link.  
 
   
   
     2. The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the receiving device is addressed by accessing an internet protocol (IP) address over the data-centric network and said message server delivers the translated message to the addressed receiving device over the data-centric network via the data-centric network link. 
   
   
     3. The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the message is supplied to the message server by an originator. 
   
   
     4. The apparatus as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said originator supplies the message in text or voice form from an originating device that is addressable over the telephony-centric network. 
   
   
     5. The apparatus as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said originator supplies the message in text or voice form from an originating device that is addressable over the data-centric network. 
   
   
     6. The apparatus as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said data-centric network server transmits a message entry web page to said originator for configuration of the message. 
   
   
     7. The apparatus as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said originating device comprises a computer that is executing a thin web client to receive said message entry web page. 
   
   
     8. The apparatus as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said thin web client comprises a browser. 
   
   
     9. The apparatus as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said originator prescribes the receiving device and the message completing fields within said message entry web page. 
   
   
     10. The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the message is delivered to the receiving device in text format as an email, or as a fax, or as a text file. 
   
   
     11. The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the message is delivered to the receiving device in voice format as an electronic voice file. 
   
   
     12. The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said message server selects said format for delivery according to receiving capabilities of the receiving device. 
   
   
     13. The apparatus as recited in  claim 12 , wherein if the receiving device is addressable over the telephony-centric network, said message server includes a telephone number within the message that corresponds to the receiving device. 
   
   
     14. The apparatus as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said telephony-centric network server extracts said telephone number from within a field of the message for initiating a call over the telephony-centric network to the receiving device for delivery of the message. 
   
   
     15. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the message has a data structure, comprising:
 a recipient field identifying one of a plurality of receiving devices having one of a plurality of different recipient formats; and  
 a message field having one of a plurality of different message formats.  
 
   
   
     16. The apparatus as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of receiving devices comprise a telephone, a facsimile machine, a pager, a smart pager, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, or a desktop computer and wherein the plurality of different message formats comprises a text format and a voice format. 
   
   
     17. A mechanism for sending to a receiving device a message having a field prescribing the receiving device being coupled to either a data-centric network or a telephony-centric network, the mechanism comprising:
 a message server, for translating the message into a format compatible with the receiving device, and for initiating delivery of the message, said message server comprising:  
 a message scheduler, for causing said message server to initiate delivery of the message; and  
 a data-centric network server, coupled to sad message server, for transmitting the message over a data-centric network for delivery to the receiving device wherein the receiving device is addressed by accessing an internet protocol address over the data-centric network.  
 
   
   
     18. The mechanism as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the receiving device is addressed by dialing a telephone number over the telephony-centric network. 
   
   
     19. The mechanism as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the receiving device comprises a telephone, a facsimile machine, a pager, a smart pager, or a cellular telephone. 
   
   
     20. The mechanism as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the receiving device comprises a computer. 
   
   
     21. The mechanism as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the message is supplied to the message server by an originator. 
   
   
     22. The mechanism as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said originator supplies the message an text or voice form from an originating device that is addressable over the telephony-centric network. 
   
   
     23. The mechanism as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said originator supplies the message in text or voice form from an originating device that is addressable over the data-centric network. 
   
   
     24. The mechanism as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said data-centric network server transmits a message entry web page to said originator for configuration of the message. 
   
   
     25. The mechanism as recited in  claim 24 , wherein said originating device comprises a computer that is executing a thin web client to receive said message entry web page. 
   
   
     26. The mechanism as recited in  claim 25 , wherein said thin web client comprises a browser. 
   
   
     27. The mechanism as recited in  claim 26 , wherein said originator prescribes the recipient, the receiving device and the message by completing fields within said message entry web page. 
   
   
     28. The mechanism as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the message is delivered to the receiving device in text format as an email, or as a fax, or as a text file. 
   
   
     29. The mechanism as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the message is delivered to the receiving device in voice format as an electronic voice file. 
   
   
     30. The mechanism as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said message server selects said format for delivery according to receiving capabilities of the receiving device. 
   
   
     31. The mechanism as recited in  claim 30 , wherein, if the receiving device is addressable over the telephony-centric network, said message server includes a telephone number within the message that corresponds to the receiving device. 
   
   
     32. The mechanism as recited in  claim 30 , further comprising:
 a telephony-centric network server, coupled to said data-centric network server, for extracting said telephone number from within the message and for initiating a call over the telephony-centric network to the receiving device for delivery of the message.  
 
   
   
     33. The mechanism of  claim 17  wherein the message has a data structure, comprising:
 a recipient field identifying one of a plurality of receiving devices having one of a plurality of different recipient formats; and  
 a message field having one of a plurality of different message formats.  
 
   
   
     34. The mechanism as recited in  claim 33 , wherein the plurality of receiving devices comprise a telephone, a facsimile machine, a pager, a smart pager, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, or a desktop computer and wherein the plurality of different message formats comprises a text format and a voice format. 
   
   
     35. A system for sending a message to a receiving device, the system comprising:
 a message scheduler, configured to initiate delivery of the message;  
 a message server, coupled to said message scheduler, configured to translate the message into a format that is compatible with the receiving device;  
 a data-centric network server, coupled to said message server, configured to transmit the message;  
 a data-centric network, coupled to said data-centric network server, configured to route the message from said data-centric network server to either the receiving device or a telephony-centric network server, wherein, if the receiving device is addressed by a telephone number over a telephony-centric network, then said data-centric network routes the message to said telephony-centric network server.  
 
   
   
     36. The system as recited in  claim 35 , wherein, if said receiving device is addressable over said data-centric network, then the message is routed directly to said receiving device. 
   
   
     37. The system as recited in  claim 36 , wherein the receiving device comprises a telephone, a facsimile machine, a pager, a smart pager, a computer, or a cellular telephone. 
   
   
     38. The system as recited in  claim 37 , wherein the receiving device is addressed by accessing an internet protocol (IP) address over said data-centric network or by dialing a telephone number over said telephony-centric network. 
   
   
     39. The system as recited in  claim 38 , wherein an originator supplies the message in voice form from an originating device that is addressable over the telephony-centric network. 
   
   
     40. The system as recited in  claim 38 , wherein said originator supplies the message in text or voice form from an originating device that is addressable over the data-centric network. 
   
   
     41. The system as recited in  claim 40 , wherein said originating device comprises a computer that is executing a web browser. 
   
   
     42. The system as recited in  claim 41 , wherein said data-centric network server transmits a message entry web page to said originating device for configuration of the message. 
   
   
     43. The system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein said originator prescribes the receiving device and the message by completing fields within said message entry web page. 
   
   
     44. The system as recited in  claim 43 , wherein the message is delivered to the receiving device in text format as an email, or as a fax, or as a text file. 
   
   
     45. The system as recited in  claim 43 , wherein the message is delivered to the receiving device in voice format as an electronic voice file. 
   
   
     46. The system as recited in  claim 45 , wherein said message server selects said format for delivery according to receiving capabilities of the receiving device. 
   
   
     47. The system as recited in  claim 46 , wherein said telephony-centric network server extracts said telephone number from within a field of the message and initiates a call over said telephony-centric network to the receiving device for delivery of the message. 
   
   
     48. The system of  claim 35  wherein the message has a data structure, comprising:
 a recipient field identifying one of a plurality of receiving devices having one of a plurality of different recipient formats; and  
 a message field having one of a plurality of different message formats.  
 
   
   
     49. The system as recited in  claim 48 , wherein the plurality of receiving devices comprise a telephone, a facsimile machine, a pager, a smart pager, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, or a desktop computer and wherein the plurality of different message formats comprises a text format and a voice format. 
   
   
     50. A method for sending a message having a recipient field identifying one of a plurality of receiving devices, wherein each receiving device has a different format than the other receiving devices, each said receiving device coupled to at least one of a data-centric network and a telephony-centric network, the method comprising:
 a) generating the message from an originating device;  
 b) for each receiving device specified in the recipient field, translating the message into a format that is compatible with the receiving device;  
 c) transmitting the message over the coupled network to each receiving device prescribed in the recipient field in a format compatible with the receiving device wherein the originating device is addressable via the coupled network.  
 
   
   
     51. The method as recited in  claim 50 , wherein the originating device is addressable via a telephony-centric network. 
   
   
     52. The method as recited in  claim 51 , wherein the originating device is addressable via the data-centric network. 
   
   
     53. The method as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the originating device is a computer that is executing a thin web client. 
   
   
     54. The method as recited in  claim 53 , wherein the message is generated by completing fields within a message entry web pane that has been received over the data-centric network. 
   
   
     55. The method as recited in  claim 54 , wherein the receiving device comprises a telephone, a facsimile machine, a pager, a smart pager, a computer, or a cellular telephone and the translated message is delivered to the receiving device over the telephony-centric network. 
   
   
     56. The method as recited in  claim 55 , further comprising:
 i) embedding a telephone number in the message;  
 ii) causing the telephony-centric network server to call the telephone number to access the receiving device.  
 
   
   
     57. The method as recited in  claim 56 , wherein the message is delivered to the receiving device in text format as an email, or as a fax, or as a text file. 
   
   
     58. The method as recited in  claim 56 , wherein the message is delivered to the receiving device in voice format as an electronic voice file. 
   
   
     59. The method of  claim 50 , wherein the message has a data structure, comprising:
 a recipient field identifying one of a plurality of receiving devices having one of a plurality of different recipient formats; and  
 a message field having one of a plurality of different message formats.  
 
   
   
     60. The method as recited in  claim 59 , wherein the plurality of receiving devices comprise a telephone, a facsimile machine, a pager, a smart pager, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, or a desktop computer and wherein the plurality of different message formats comprises a text format and a voice format.